You ought to to be in pictures: video for business

Think YouTube is only about goofy stunts and music videos? Think again. Video marketing is on the rise. According to an April 2011 social media marketing industry report, three-quarters of those who surveyed intend to increase their use of YouTube and video marketing, making it the top area in which marketers will invest in 2011.

Can your business harness this popular marketing tool? Why not? Every business or organization has something to sell or communicate. It’s a matter of figuring out how video can work for you.

Show meHow-to’s are a great place to start. If you sell menswear, demo how to tie a Windsor knot. If you’re a vet, show people how to clip a dog’s nails or brush his teeth.

Tease meIt’s all about showing off what you do. Are you a professional speaker or trainer? Load up video teasers for each topic. A chef or cookbook author? Demo a recipe.

Escort meReal estate professionals are the Yodas of YouTube. Virtual house tours have revolutionized house-hunting. Agents can show their clients dozens of listings in an evening rather than chauffeur them to a handful. With virtual tours, you can also explore the interior of the latest luxury sedan, visit a university campus or preview potential vacation spots and wedding venues.

Meet meGoogle + brings a face-to-face component to video conferencing with Hangouts. This live video chat for up to ten people has great applications for business.

Hangouts can bring people together for networking, brainstorming, business meetings and conferences. It works whether the participants work in different parts of town or a world away.

Talk to meHangouts bridges the distance. Human resource professionals can conduct face-to-face interviews with prospective employees. Online learners can tune in to tutorials and webinars. Organizations can bring in first class speakers and instructors without incurring travel expenses.

Help meBusinesses are coming up with innovative ways to use Hangouts to connect with clients, too. Novel Publicity holds regular “office hours.” Dell plans to use it for customer service. Though Google hasn’t rolled out its business pages yet, we can expect a souped-up version of Hangouts, including more seats in the “room” and transcripts of the video chat.

Share meGoogle+ gives businesses the ability to target the distribution of video content using Circles. Create a Circle for clients. A Circle for media. An internal Circle for employees only. These distribution networks can be separate and private.

Inspire meDoes your organization already use video? Seen a great example of how to do it? Share them with us. Post a link to the video on my blog (www.SueSutcliffe.com). Everyone who contributes will have a chance to win a free social media webinar. We’ll announce the winner next month when we explore how to incorporate and optimize your videos.

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